The Control Spires
The Control Spires are creations of the Digimon Emperor, erected all across the DigiWorld. When powered up, they project an energy field with prevents Digimon from Digivolving normally. Armour Digivolving is not affected by this process, and apparently neither is DNA Digivolving. The Emperor used the mechanisms in his base to broadcast the power of his Dark Digivice to the Spires, which in turn sent power to the Dark Rings in their immediate vicinity. The first time the new kids actually acknowledged the existence of a Control Spire, and realised what it could do, was when they were trying to free the village of Santa Caria from the Emperor's control. Veemon goaded RedVegiemon into cracking the Spire, damaging it enough so it no longer worked, and Gabumon Digivolved into Garurumon to destroy it. The Emperor continued to erect Spires, at a faster rate than the DigiDestined could destroy them, even with help from the older DigiDestined, Joeand Mimi. When Ken Ichijouji - the Emperor's human identity - ran away from home to live in the DigiWorld and be the Emperor permanently, he set up Spires faster than ever. A Spire was even seen in the World of Darkness - but there is question as to quite how and when the Emperor erected it there - if erect it he truly did (see below). When the Emperor was restored to his true self, his Digivice ceased supplying power to the Control Spires, and the Digimon were able to Digivolve into Championin their presence to destroy them. However, a mysterious woman began to appear to plague the team, somehow having the ability to power up dormant Control Spires and being able to convert them into unliving Digimon. The DigiDestined had no qualms about destroying them, however, as they were not really Digimon. The mystery woman created Thundermon, Golemon and Minotarumon from Spires, and then later combined a large number of towers together to createOkuwamon. Shortly thereafter, her identity was revealed - she was Arukenimon, a female, spider-like Digimon who could transform into a human shape. Arukenimon and her partner, Mummymon, then combined one hundred Control Spires together to create BlackWarGreymon - but the leftover programs within the Spires merged together, and had an adverse side-effect, giving BlackWarGreymon an individual mind, with thoughts and feelings. He refused to follow Arukenimon's orders, and trekked across the DigiWorld, being drawn by the power of Azulongmon, one of the four guardians of the DigiWorld. BlackWarGreymon destroyed the powerful Destiny Stones, freeing Azulongmon from the prison the Dark Masters had held him in. He and the other guardians had been unable to free themselves because of the energy fields from the Control Spires. Azulongmon explained to BlackWarGreymon that everything has a purpose in life, and BlackWarGreymon set off to find his. Then, Control Spires began to appear all across the face of the Earth on Christmas Eve, and the kids' Christmas party was cut short. Arukenimon had powered up a Spire in Odaiba, so no-one could Digivolve until it was destroyed, but she had also opened all the Digi-Ports, allowing wild Digimon to come to Earth and cause havoc in different countries, providing a distraction so she and Mummymon could kidnap children in Japan, while the DigiDestined had to go all around the world to destroy the Spires and send the Digimon back where they came from. None of the Spires were powered up, however, so the Digimon could Digivolve to easily destroy them. Inured in battle with Oikawa, the human creator of Arukenimon and Mummymon, and dying, BlackWarGreymon used the last of his strength to seal up the portal to the DigiWorld, as the Control Spires which formed the substance of his body were used as a seal to close the rift between Earth and the DigiWorld - and this was BlackWarGreymon's purpose that he had so long searched for. Oikawa later commented that the Control Spires were "a present from the Dark Ocean" - this makes it clear that Ken did not originate their design, and perhaps the one seen in the World of Darkness by Kari and T.K. was in fact the original Spire which gave Ken the idea to build them (see "World of Darkness" entry for more information). Oikawa went on to explain that the main function of the Spires - their true purpose - was not to inhibit Digivolving, or to bind Azulongmon, but to actually weaken the barriers between the real world and the DigiWorld, to allow him access to it. Able to open a gate to the DigiWorld, but unable to enter it personally, he created Arukenimon and Mummymon, and sent them into the DigiWorld, but seeing them there only made him want to go more, so he hit upon the idea of using the Spires to allow him access. When the DigiDestined stopped Ken, that plan was rendered useless, and the Spires were left deactivated to be turned into unliving Digimon by Arukenimon. Control Spires first appear in "Enter Flamedramon." They are not acknowledged by the DigiDestined, or referred to by name, until "Iron Vegiemon."